Fusible explosive composition comprising trinitrophenylmethylnitramine and trinitrophenylethylnitramine



US. Cl. 14993 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A fusible explosivemixture for the preparation of cast or pressed explosives, which cast orpressed explosives have a shape stability of at least 70 C. whichcomprises from about to 80% of tetryl and from about 90% to oftrinitrophenylethylnitramine and cast or pressed explosives having acontent of said fusible explosive mixture together with a content ofsolid explosives selected from the group consisting of hexogen, octogen,nitropentaerythrite and mixtures thereof.

THE PRIOR ART Trinitrotoluene has been utilized more than any otherexplosive as a fusion component or casting explosive, in admixture withsuch solid explosives as hexogen (tri methylene trinitramine), octogen(cyclotetramethylenetetranitramine) and/or nitropentaerythrite, formilitary high-efficiency explosives, due to its suitable fusiontemperature of 808 C. and due to its very great operational safety. Itsuse, however, suffers the drawback that, due to the detonation velocityof trinitrotoluene being ap proximately 6,900 m./sec., the detonationvelocities of the above-named casting mixtures remain far below that ofpressed articles prepared from hexogen, octogen or nitropentaerythrite.

It has often been tried to replace trinitrotoluene in its capacity as afusion component. Particularly, it has been tried to employ, for thepreparation of casting mixtures, the good explosive properties of tetryl(2,4,6 trinitrophenylmethylnitramine), which does not fuse withoutdecomposition, in casting mixtures admixed with trinitrotoluene ortrinitrobenzene. These mixtures melt below 100 C. and can be handled atthese temperatures without decomposition. Furthermore, as an explosive,they are clearly superior to trinitrotoluene alone. The operation safetyis satisfactory as well.

In spite of these obvious advantages, explosives prepared from suchmixtures have yet not been successful, since recently temperaturestability of the shaped explosives of up to 70 C. has been required formilitary purposes. Since mixtures of tetryl and trinitrotoluene ortrinitrobenzene have eutectic points of 59 C. or 61 C., shapedexplosives which are prepared from such fusion components lose theirshape stability at 70 C. or tend to liquation.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION An object of the invention is the obtention ofa fusible explosive mixture for the preparation of cast or pressedexplosives, which cast or pressed explosives have a shape stability ofat least 70 C., which comprises from about 10% to 80% of tetryl and fromabout 90% to 20% of trinitrophenylethylnitramine.

Another object of the invention is the obtention of a cast or pressedexplosive having a shape stability of at least 70 C. which comprises acontent of a fusible ex- States ate 3,496,041 Patented Feb. 17, 1970 iceDESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION It has now been discovered that a fusibleexplosive mixture for the preparation of cast or pressed explosiveshaving a shape stability of at least 70 C. can be obtained from mixturesof tetryl and 2,4,6-trinitrophenylethylnitramine (a homolog of tetryl,sometimes called ethyl-tetryl). These mixtures have the same favorableexplosive properties and have the same operation safety as have fusibleexplosive mixtures of tetryl and trinitrobenzene.

The eutectic point of the fusible explosive mixture of tetryl andethyl-tetryl is 77 C. and, therefore, this mixture can be employed formilitary purposes as a casting explosive or fusion component forhigh-efficiency explosives. If composed suitably the fusion point of thefusible explosive mixtures of the invention is below 100 C. Particularlysuitable are mixtures containing from about 10% to 70% of tetryl and 90%to 30% of ethyl-tetryl. Yet, if heated only shortly, mixtures can beused having a content of up to 80% of tetryl.

The fusible explosive mixtures of the invention can be employed alone ascasting fillings in place of trinitrotoluene. They are employedparticularly well, however, as a fusion component in casting mixtures incombination with hexogen, octogen and/or nitropentaerythrite where theycan be utilized as readily as trinitrotoluene. However, their use leadsto cast articles with a higher detonation velocity. Of course, the newfusion components can be employed in all casting processes for theobtaining of homogenous castings, which are known in the art, that is,for example, in vacuum casting, centrifugal casting and sedimentationcasting.

Perfectly suitable as well are the mixtures of the invention as fusioncomponents for the vacuum hot press method, as is described in GermanAuslegeschrift 1,186,383.

Upon the preparation of the casting mixtures, small amounts of the solidexplosives such as hexogen, octogen or nitropentaerythrite dissolve inthe melt of tetryl and ethyl-tetryl without having an adverse effect onthe shape stability of the cast articles at 70 C. Furthermore, thefusion components of the invention can be admixed with small amounts ofother substances such as, for instance, stabilizers and desensitizingagents. Into a casting mixture of hexogen and the fusion components ofthe invention, nitropentaerythrite can be worked as an addition. Bymeans of a small addition of high-molecular-weight polymers such as, forinstance, casting resins or nitrocellulose, the mechanical stability ofthe cast explosives of the invention can be increased.

The following examples are illustrative of the practice of theinvention. It is to be understood, however, that they are not to bedeemed limitative in any respect.

EXAMPLES The following table will further illustrate the invention.Examples 3 to 6 indicate the detonation velocities and impactsensitivities of cast and pressed articles which were prepared formixtures of tetryl and ethyl-tetryl as fusion components, with orwithout addition of solid explosives. For comparison, Examples 1 and 2relate to explosive cast articles with a fusion component consistingoftetryl and trinitrobenzene.

TABLE I a w v Explosive mixture and amounts Fusion component, percentImpact sensitiv- Method of preparation Detonation ity according toExample Solid component Tetryl Trinitrobenzene of the cast explosivevelocity, m./sec. Koenen, mkp

1 i 50 50 Vacuum casting"; 7, 400 0. 7 2 Hexogen 60% 16 24 do ..t 8, 2000. 6

' Ethyl tetryl 3 50 50 do 7, 420 0.5 4 Hexogen 60% 16 24 ldo 8, 100 0.65 Hexogeu 66% 17 17 do 8, 200 O. 6 2 3 Vacuum and hot press 9, 080 0. 7

6 Octogen 95% method.

These results show that the mixtures of the invention correspond withthose cast explosives which have been prepared with the fusioncomponents of tetryl and trinitrobenzene, in their capacity asexplosives. While the cast articles of Examples 1 and 2 melt to 70 0,those cast explosive articles prepared with the fusion component of theinvention remain stable at this temperature and do not liquate.

The preceding specific embodiments are illustrative of the practice ofthe invention. It is to be understood however, that other expedientsknown to those skilled in the art may be employed'without departing fromthe spirit of the invention.

We claim:

1. A fusible explosive mixture for the preparation of cast or pressedexplosives, which cast or pressed explosives have a shape stability ofat least 70 C., which comprises from about 10% to 80% of2,4,6-trinitrophenylmethylnitramine and from about 90% to 20% oftrinitrophenylethylnitramine.

2'. A cast or pressed explosive having a shape stability of at least 70C. which comprise a content of a fusible explosive mixture consisting offrom about 10% to 80% UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,160,535 12/1964 Wells14992 X 3,265,545 8/1966 Murray 149-92 X 3,271,212 9/1966 Riedl et a1.14992 3,284,255 11/1966 Rothstein et a1 14992 X 3,369,944 2/1968Berthmann et al. 14992 X CARL D. QUARFORTH, Primary Examiner STEPHEN I.LECHERT, JR., Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 14988, 105, 106

UNITEI) STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3 ,496,041 Dated February 17 1970 lnventofls) Hans-Joachim Riedl et a1 It iscertified that error appears in the above-identified patent and thatsaid Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the heading to the printed specification, after line 8 insert saidSauermilch and said Frank assors. to Wasag-Chemie Aktiengesellschaft,Essen, Germany, a Corporation of Germany.

Signed and sealed this 24th day of November 1970.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M. FLETCHER,JR. WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR. Attesting OfficerCommissioner of Patents FORM FO-1050l10-69) USCOMM-DC 003 5-P6D U SIGOVIINMINT PRINTING OFFICE 1., OJI-3SI

